Trouble for EU after ‘Czexit’ warning as billionaire set to win election this year

A Eurosceptic is poised to dominate a crucial upcoming in a country as a poll shows strong support.

A STEM poll for CNN Prime News suggests that the Action for Alienated Citizens (ANO) party, which has been called populist, can boast 35%. Its closest rival, the centre-right Spolu alliance, is on 19%.

ANO was founded in 2011 by the media mogul Andrej Babiš. He served as prime minister between 2017 and 2021.

He has battled with and questioned the EU’s continued support for after the Russian invasion.

If he were re-elected at an election due to be held this autumn, Mr Babiš could join forces with Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakia’s premier Robert Fico.

This would spark concern amongst EU and NATO leaders as they aim to maintain a united front against .

In the past, the ANO leader has collaborated with France’s Marine Le Pen in a grouping called ‘Patriots for Europe’, which advocates devolving powers from Brussels to members’ national governments.

In the past, Mr Babiš has criticised EU migrant quotas, and has spoken out again France, Germany and the European Commission having too much power.

He warned officials in 2018 that Euroscepticism would grow in the Czechia if the EU did not consider opposition to these policies, reports. The polician said: “In the Czech Republic, we have some extremist parties, who would like a ‘Czexit’.”

Previously, Mr Babiš said in 2016 that a referendum on Czechia’s EU membership, similar to the one hld in the UK, would be “damaging”.

Mr Babiš told the in September that “even the EU and NATO countries are not united on how to proceed in ”, suggesting that peace should be the goal.

He added: “But let us be realistic: the US elections will decide the war in . A Trump win would be good for Europe because he promised to end the war immediately”.

The Czechia government is currently a coalition comprised of four parties. Its fifth member, the Pirates Party left in October.